Southport's Floral Hall turned itself purple today, as UKIP rolled into town to hold its north west party conference in the resort.

Leader, Nigel Farage, had been expected to speak, but instead decided to focus his attention on the first day of the postal vote in Rochester for the up-coming by-election.

In a video message played on screens to members he apologised for his absence saying that he tries never to break his word.

He said: “Everything in the north west is going well, good EU election results, a stunning by-election result, lots to play for next year.

“In particular the local elections, we really have a good chance of picking up a lot of seats in the north west, but for now it is Rochester for me.”

In his place, deputy leader and Bootle-born Paul Nuttall took to the conference helm - with more than 500 UKIP members packing out the theatre and convention centre.

Mr Nuttall made note of how the party are using the same room for their national conference in 2009, as they are for their north west conference, saying “we have come a long way.”

“People are flocking to UKIP because of two words, common sense,” he said; “We are changing British politics.”

With the backing of the members filling the convention centre who cheered and clapped, the north west MEP talked about how aid should “not be given to countries like India who have its own space programme.”

“It should be spent on our own country and on our own people,” said Mr Nuttall.

On the issue of immigration he also said that British boarders need to be protected to “stop British people being forced out of jobs.”

Video Loading

Video Unavailable

Click to playTap to play

The video will start in 8Cancel

Play now

He told the packed-out room that the “Tories are dead north of the Watford Gap. We can take seats in the north,” adding; “We are the people’s army and we are on the march.”

The one-day event also drew other notable members of UKIP, such as the Scottish and openly gay MEP, David Coburn, who told attendees that the party is for “ordinary people doing ordinary things.”

He added: “There is every hope Nigel Farage will be hanging purple curtains in the kitchen of Downing Street.”

Amjad Bashir, the MEP for Yorkshire and Humber region, who told the Floral Hall on the issue of radicalisation that “anyone who travels abroad to fight, is not welcome back.”

He added: “Radicalisation is not taking place abroad, it’s taking place here. David Cameron is out of touch.

“Stopping them from leaving is not the answer. We need to do much more to stop them becoming radicalised. We need to engage everyone is British life.

“Life can be difficult for young British Muslims. I have been through it in a much harder time than now.”

Rallying the troops, UKIP's Southport parliamentary candidate, Terry Durrance, said: "We need to get out there and fight because we can really do it.

"UKIP are on the up, many people in the party have brought about this change, and it has put us in the premier league of politics."

For more coverage and for exclusive interviews get Thursday's Southport Visiter.